Haunted House of Hell
by Zoroark Girl
Summary: When they realize a haunted house brings their worst fears and phobias to life, Jinjira Black and her best friend N are desperate to make it out, and that's when they see their darkest fears, fears that reflect how the two best friends truly feel about each other...
1. Thrill

_**Summary:**_

**Jinjira and her best friend, N, decide to go to a Haunted House, but little do they know the house brings all your worst fears and phobias to life, slowly driving you insane. As Jinjira and N work together to escape, they confront their one deepest, darkest fear, a fear they both have that reveals how they truly feel for each other...**

**Chapter 1:**

"Aiee!"

A piercing shriek shattered the evening silence like an arrow. It was Cheren running for his life from Jinjira. They both ran through the forest, and while Cheren overreacted as he just barely dodges every tree, rock, and torn bush, Jinjira ran through the forest with a ninja's grace, swiftly and cunningly avoiding everything that may trip her as if she's run through it a million times. Cheren was impressively fast, but Jinjira was faster, and more cunning. As he ran, at the last second, he saw a flash of white in front of him. He couldn't stop in time and tripped over it, stumbling, but quickly getting up and running again. "Good job, Absol!" a female voice laced with a Scottish accent praised the Pokemon, now running at her side. As soon as his brain processed the voice belonged to Jinjira and Absol had tripped him and they were now gaining up on him, she caught up with Cheren, she grabbed both his wrists and pinned him to the tree. "Take it back!" she growled. Cheren struggled to free himself from her grip, but she held him firmly against the tree. Absol stuck to her side, staring Cheren down with its fiery red eyes. "I would...if it wasn't true!" he yepled, again, trying to wriggle out of her grip, but Absol took a step forward, growling, revealing razor sharp from canine teeth that looked like they could bite through steel.

"Jinjira, don't!" another voice yelled, capturing Cheren's, Jinjira's, and Absol's attention. As soon as Jinjira heard her name, she straightened up and looked behind her. Soon, there was a tall figure come up behind Jinjira. "N, come on, he started it!" Jinjira growled, tightening her grip on Cheren's hands as he tried to escape again. N's hands glided down Jinjira's arms to her elbows for a moment. Jinjira tensed. "_Zoruuua,_!" it cried, now perched on her outstretched arm. Zorua shot a curious look at Jinjira, distracting her as N gently lowered her arms. Jinjira tensed but didn't resist, allowing N to then pull her away, but still kept her gaze locked with Cheren's, his auburn eyes pleading for mercy. N pulled Jinjira back close to him, tilting her chin up so she looked at him. "What are you trying to kill him over?" he asked, watching Cheren out of the corner of his eye. Jinjira freed herself from N's grasp and crossed her arms. "What do you expect? The stupid nerd called me princess!" she growled, pretending to lunge for Cheren. He yelped and lept back, but then realized she was faking. He blushed. A series of high-pitched yells and yaps escaped from Absol's mouth; it was the Pokemon's version of a laugh.

Jinjira ran her fingers through her long, blazing red Zoroark-like hair. One of her biggest pet peeves was being called a pet name, such as 'sweetheart' or 'dear' or 'honey.' She never allowed herself to fall for sugar-coated truth, she knew better than that.

Cheren slowly made his way back to his two friends, keeping an eye on the one who just tried to kill him. _Not the girl to call princes_, Cheren reminded himself yet again. Whenever he wanted to get her attention, he'd yell 'Princess!" and it worked every time, but he had to make sure to get a good head start, because that was a surefire way to piss Jinjira off, and he knew it.

"Come on. Halloween isn't just about getting revenge on people who call you princess. There's more to it than that," N scolded Jinjira, unable to hide a smile. "But that takes the fun out of it," Jinjira crossed her arms and pursed her lips to form a pout. N shook his head. He couldn't say no to her when she tried that on him, and she knew it. "And plus he deserved it. He knows I hate being called 'princess!' " she growled. He smiled.

"You know there's a haunted house supposed to open up tonight, right?" N asked both of them, trying to get Jinjira to focus on something besides a million and one ways to kill Cheren (he knew that was the reason for her devilish smile.) The words 'Haunted house' made Jinjira straighten up. He knew Jinjira couldn't resist an opportunity to scare the living hell out of people. Cheren, however, slowly backed away. Jinjira, without any effort, grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Oh no. You chickened out last year, and you're not going to this year," Jinjira said, a sly grin on her face. Cheren looked at N, hoping he'd tell her to let him stay out of it, but N made no attempt to change her mind. Jinjira looked at Cheren, a strange, slightly crazy, look in her eyes. "Fine...if you're _scared_ to come with us," Jinjira teased, knowing Cheren would react to that.

He looked at her, a scowl on his face. "I'm not _scared,_" he growled. As she took a step closer, N put his hand on her shoulder, capturing her attention. "Don't force him to come, alright? It was just a thought," N scolded her again.

Jinjira started to say something, but N pressed his finger against her lips, bith shutting her up and stunning her. A low growl escaped her throat, but she didn't resist. She kept walking with N to the haunted house. She turned back to Cheren.

"Just remember: It's Halloween, so you better watch out for me!" Jinjira hissed, a sly grin on her face. N shot her a look, and she obeyed and kept walking.

"You had to try and scare him, didn't you?" N asked Jinjira, shaking his head. She smiled. "Come on, N, it's Halloween! I have to scare _someone_!" she mock-whined, not stopping. N shot her a look. "What? Halloween spirit, moron!" she playfully punched him. N stpped short. "Jinjira, you're always in the Halloween spirit! You always wear black and have an unusual talent for being able to scare the living hell out of someone," N started. Jinjira shrugged. He was right. She looked down at what she had on right now; a black tank top with a somewhat low cut neckline, black (severely) torn jeans, and black lace-up military boots. It contrasted with her ivory skin, making her look even more pale, almost like a ghost.

"So what? It's funny seeing the look on their faces that moment you scare the living hell out of someone! You agree with me, and you know it," Jinjira taunted, nudging him in his ribs with her elbow. He smiled and shook his head. N knew she was right; he just didn't want to admit it. He wasn't the best at scaring people like Jinjira was.

"Well, there it is," N said, stopping in front of an old mansion that looked about to collapse at any moment. Out of the corner of his eye, N saw Jinjira smiling. "What you bet this'll be another lame haunted house like all the others?" she asked him, tilting her head. He looked at Jinjira and smiled. Her mask of freckles covered her high cheekbones, and her cerulean eyes were clouded with excitement. N smiled. She reminded him of a child when she was excited, with endless energy and unable to keep still. Jinjira started to walk up the entrance when Absol and Zorua stopped cold. The fur around Absol's neck and chest bristled, it's crimson eyes darting around. Jinjira stopped cold. "Absol, what's wrong?" she asked it. The Pokemon crouched down low to the ground, growling, as if about to pounce on someone. _"Something, or someone, else is here," _Absol growled. Zorua said the same thing, but since its so small, it wouldn't do much good attacking whatever else was there with them. At that moment, an elderly woman appeared at the doorway, making Jinjira and the Pokemon jump. She wore old rags, like a patchwork cloak with a hood. Even though he couldn't see her eyes, he somehow knew the woman was staring them down.

"Welcome, trainers," the woman croaked. Her voice sounded weak,as if simply speaking drained the woman's energy. "Have you come to visit the haunted house?" she continued. Jinjira nodded, fire in her eyes. N absentmindedly put his hands on Jinjira's shoulders and pulled her slightly closer to him. He felt her tense, but she didn't resist. He didn't trust the old woman. _"I don't trust this woman," _Zorua wrinkled her nose up to the old woman. The woman stepped to the side and extended her arm out to the doorway, welcoming them to go inside. "Please, trainers, come. Come and enjoy the thrills of the haunted house," she said. Jinjira narrowed her eyes, and Absol imitated her. "Oh, I assure you...this is no ordinary haunted house," she chuckled. N was watching the woman's every move. How did she know Jinjira would compare this mansion to other haunted houses? Jinjira didn't even say a word. It was as if the woman read her mind. Having the same question in her mind, Jinjira started to speak...

"How did you-"

"Oh, but, would you mind putting your Pokemon back into their PokeBalls?" the woman asked. Jinjira snapped her attention to the woman, fire in her eyes. "Why?!" she asked, venom lacing her voice. N pulled her closer to him, trying to keep Jinjira from punching the woman. She hated being told what to do. A lot.

The woman chuckled. "Oh, we've had Pokemon attack our...ah...decorations and tricks, and we would like to minimize those occasions as much as possible, as we've had to spend thousands of dollars replacing them," she said, her voice now sounding sweet, caring, and gentle, she seemed like a grandmother talking to her grandchild. Jinjira reluctantly agreed and took Absol's PokeBall off her belt. N did the same. "Sorry, Absol. I'll let you out as soon as we come out, alright?" she assured, the Pokemon nodding as a red light surrounded it, confining it into its PokeBall. N returned Zorua, promising the same.

The woman watched them carefully as they returned their partners, the two best friends then turning to the old woman. "Excellent! Now please enter! I promise many thrills and excitement as you journey through this haunted house!" the woman squealed in excitement. She smiled as they looked at each other.

" Ready?" N asked Jinjira. She smiled, her cerulean eyes filled with curiosity and excitement. She smiled back at N.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, her Scottish accent emphasizing the excitement in her voice.

" Then let's go," he said, him and Jinjira walking in. A _click _sound echoed in the distance. It was the sound of a key being inserted in the door, locking the two of them inside.


	2. Fear

II. Fear

"Nothing has scared me yet," Jinjira began, looking around. N shook his head in agrreement. She was right; the mansion wasn't decorated at all...actually...it didn't _need_ to be. It had long, narrow, dark hallways with no light, so it amazed N they were able to find their way through the pitch black house. Jinjira stayed close to him, and even though he couldn't see her, he somehow knew she was there. The mansion was like a 16th-century labrynth, with seemingly endless hallways, no doors whatsoever (except the front door,) and the hallways seeming to lead them in circles.

"We need to find some light," Jinjira finally said, breaking the silence. N nodded and, staying close to Jinjira, felt the walls for something; a light swithe (very unlikely, but worth a shot,) or even a torch...

"Found something!" Jinjira yelped, followed by a sctratching sound, then a small light. She had found a box of matches, but this struck N as odd. Why would the woman leave a box of matches lying around?

In an instant, there was a screech, then the match went out, followed by a loud bang. "Jinjira?!" N yelped, trying to follow the sound. "I'm fine..I just..something crawled on my arm," she said, breathless. Whatever it was freaked her out. "What was it?" he asked, immediately regretting it. Stupid question, and he knew it.

"I don't know, it's pitch black in here, if you-!" Jinjira started, but then, light illuminated the hallways, but just enough for them to make out their surroundings. It was a victorian-style mansion, with ornate furniture and very elegant treasures displayed all around. Jinjira looked stunned. "But...how...did the lights just...turn on?" she stuttered. N slowly nodded. _I assure you, this is no ordinary haunted house, _the old woman's words echoed in his head. He shivered.

"Oooh, dear Arceus," he heard Jinjira say from a distance away, her voice echoing across the hallways. He walked over to her, and when he turned the corner, expecting a hallway, but he had to grab the angled walls to keep from falling into a deep ditch that was there instead of a hallway. Who had an endless ditch in their hallway?! N thought. He looked over to see Jinjira pressed against the wall, struggling to keep her balance. The only way across the chasm was a narrow, unsturdy suspension bridge that looked as if it'd collapse any moment. Jinjira didn't budge an inch, and it took N a second, but he soon figured out why.

"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" N asked her. She looked over at him, the look in her eyes suggesting if she could, she'd smack him.

"No, I love the thrill plunging to my death into bottomless chasms, what the hell do you think?!" she snapped. N could see the fear in her eyes. He knew she'd only curse if she was really stressed, angry, of, in this case, afraid. (But her sarcasm was her trademark, there was nothing unusual about it.) He dared himself to look over, but quickly took a step back. "Is there any other way across?" N asked her. He knew she wouldn't go across the bridge. On the bridge, you basically had no choice but to look down so you can make sure you don't step on a spot where a board fell out. Jinjira looked N in the eye.

"I hope so," she said.. She carefully walked sideways over towards N, flinching when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to solid ground, several feet from the chasm.

"You alright?" he asked her. He could feel her pulse racing in her wrist. As he realized he could feel it, he let her hand go. She nodded, out of breath. "I'm fine...just a...little," she started. "Acrophobic?" N finished for her. She looked up at him. Jinjira shook her head, unwilling to admit it, but the look in her eyes told N he was right; she was afraid of heights.

"But...the thing I'm wondering is this: Who would have just a random bottomless chasm in the middle of their house?!" she yelped, looking back at it, but not daring to take another step closer. N stopped to think. She did have a point. N thought back to when the old woman answered Jinjira's question before she even asked, as if she'd read her mind.

He suddenly thought of something: What if this mansion was the same way? What if it somehow read your mind, found out your worst fears, and then brought them to life?

"N, do you feel like you're being watched?" Jinjira asked, snapping N out of his thoughts. He looked at Jinjira to see her hands balled into fists, ready to fight. He stopped and concentrated on the area around him. A chill shot up his spine. His blood ran cold. He quickle pressed himself against the wall, pulling Jinjira beside him.

Someone was watching them. N found himself breathing harder, as if whoever was watching them was someone whom N was sfraid of, or was someone who was very close by. N slowly looked around the corner, and his breath caught in his throat.

On the other side of the corner was a man with blonde hair, glowing orange eyes, and a futuristic lab outfit and a lab coat. The man was walking around the room, as if searching for something. N was frozen in place.

"Who is that?" Jinjira asked, keeping her voice down. N looked at her, glad to not be looking upon the strange man. "That's Colress. He's Team Plasma's scientist, and Ghetsis's assistant. He wanted to research the true way to bring out a Pokémon's inner strength. But in his research, he tortures and mistreats Pokémon," N growled, him, too, making sure to keep his voice down.

All at once, it clicked. This was N's fear.

When N was little, Colress always scared the hell out of him. There was just something about him that always made him uneasy. Even now, every time he even thinks of Colress, it sends a chill up his spine.

He started to take a step forwards, but Jinjira grabbed his shoulder ad pulled him back. "You can't just walk out ther, moron!" she hissed, looking around the corner to see him for herself. She suddenly retreated back around the corner, a devilish grin on her face. N held his breath. He knew that look. It was her look meaning she was going to try something stupid.

"Jinjira, what are you going to do?" N asked, ready to pull her back if she decided to try and ambush him, which was very likely. "Something incredibly stupid," she replied. She looked around the corner, took a deep breath, and the yelled at the top of her lungs:

"COLRESS!"

In an instant, Team Plasma's scientist whirled around, his amber eyes glowing with fury. "What the hell did you just do?!" N yelped. Jinjira looked back at him. "I said it was something stupid, did I not? Now, quit yelling at me and RUN!" she yelled, grabbing his wrist and, without giving him a chance to react, started running.

The two friends kept running, corner after corner, hallway after hallway, getting as gap bigger and bigger between them and Colress. A second later, Jinjira pulled him into what looked like a bedroom. She looked around, grabbed a trophy from the shelf, positioned herself at the doorway, and waited for Colress to try and run past.

"What are you doing now?!" N cried, walking towards Jinjira. She didn't take her eyes off the empty hallway.

"Ambush."

"An illusion?!"

"You want to go out there, see if he's an illusion?!"

That shut him up. Jinjira now hels the trophy like a bat over her shoulder. N listened as the footsteps came closer and closer until Jinjira suddenly turned and hit Colress's forehead with the trophy, making him stumble back.

"Oh, no!" she cried, dropping the trophy. Colress groaned in pain, rubbing his forehead, but was still standing. Jinjira balled her hand into a fist, dared to walk closer to the scientist, and sucker punched him square in the nose, knocking him to the ground. N looked at her in astonishment. "Did you just knock him out with a single punch?!" N cried, looking down at Colress, who was sprawled out on the ground. Jinjira knelt down and grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse. After a few seconds, she let his hand go and stood up.

"He'll be out for a while," she said, then cringing and shaking her hand. "What's wrong? Did the recoil hit harder than you expected?" N asked. She looked him in the eye. "I hit him right on the bridge of his nose," she said. N nodded. Not that she mentioned it, there was a loud CRACK, but he assumed it was Colress's nose being broken, not her hand. Without thinking, he took her hand. She cringed, but didn't resist. There was already a blue spot forming near her knuckled.

"You really need to start thinking before you start punching," N scolded her, letting her hand go. She shook her head. "I know, but that's my first instinct when I face one of my fears," she said. This made N straighten up. Does that mean Colress wasn't his fear?

"What was your fear?"

"He'd try and kill us," she admitted, avoiding his gaze.

N looked back at Colress, who hadn't moved an inch. Jinjira looked at N. "So...this place actually does bring our fears to life?" she asked, her voice shaking. N could tell she was frightened now. She had several other fears, he knew, and she was afraid they'd be brought to life. He didn't blame her; he had several fears he didn't want brought to life, too.

"We need to get out of here," N began. Jinjira nodded.

"Agreed."

As they both walked along the hallway Colress still lay unconscious. N, knowing his theory was correct, now was racing with several other fears, hoping to Arceus they'd make it out alive before they surfaced. He looked over at Jinjira, who was visibly trying to hide her fright, but she was trembling. He began to wonder about Jinjira's fears she hoped wouldn't come to lie. Everyone has a worst fear, and he couldn't help but wonder about hers. N desperately tried to push the thoughts out of his mind about their fears and focus on getting out.

He was just afraid as they were about to make it out of the house of hell, she'd somehow get trapped inside...or worse, she's see something that'd make her hate him from then on..


	3. Doubt

It had been a while since Jinjira and N first became trapped in the haunted house, and so far, there wasn't any signs of them getting out any time soon. Jinjira had lost all track of time. Seconds felt like hours. Hours felt like an eternity. She was snapped out of her trance when she felt N's hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a concerned look in his eyes.

"I'm fine," she quickly replied, looking away. She looked down at the floor as the two kept walking.

_"Help...me," _a barely audible voice pleaded. Jinjira and N both straightened up. Jinjira looked at N. She knew that voice all too well. "That was Serperior!" she cried. N's eyes widened. He knew how much she cared for her Pokemon. At the same time, Jinjira and N ran towards the voice.

"Serperior!" Jinjira cried. She then stopped dead in her tracks. N looked at her in surprise.

"What are you-"

"Shh!" Jinjira held her hand up. It was completely silent in the house. Jinjira pressed two fingers againstr her lips, pulling off a loud, ear-splitting whistle. N started to say something else, but again, Jinjira held her hand up. She pushed her hair behind her ears, something she rarely ever did. "Listen," was all she said. N did, and he heard faint shuffling, just barely audible. He looked at Jinjira. She nodded before he could say another word.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing N's wrist and dashing off before he could say another word.

_"Help...so...weak...,"_ now the voice sounded hoarse, as if just speaking drained its energy. "Hang on, Serperior! We're coming!" Jinjira cried, even though her heart racing and her legs burning, she forced herself to keep running.

After running as fast as she could, it was almost impossible to stop when they came back to the bottomless chasm.

"Dammit!" she yelped, trying to scurry back, but it was impossible since she was running at full speed. "Jinjira!" N yelped. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She looked at N, then back at the suspension bridge, which was coincidentally about to fall apart and the only way across. She started to cross, but N stopped her.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked. Jinjira knew he'd never stop her, but he also knew she was afraid of heights.

"Serperior's over there!" she cried, fighting back tears in her eyes. Before he could say another word, Jinjira started topwards the bridge, and N followed. As they were in the center, Jinjira froze.

"Oh no, Jinjira, keep going. Forget about your fear, just go," N tried encouraging her. Jinjira's mind was screaming for her to go, but her legs refused to move. She had accidentaly looked down, and now she couldn't look anywhere else. She wanted to move she really did, but while her mind was telling her to move, it was as if she were glued to the bridge. She couldn't move. Her hands were shaking.

A blood-curdling _snap,_ like the sound of a spine breaking, snapped Jinjira out of her trance and back into reality. She looked back at N. "Go on, and this time, do. Not. Look. Down. Now go!" N was now ordering her. She didn't need to be told twice. She bolted across the bridge, not once looking down, over to the other side.

"Serperior!" Jinjira cried, looking around. Now, her senses were sharpened as adrenaline shot through her like a bullet from a gun, spreading through her.

_CRACK!_

Jinjira whipped her head around towards the sound, not thinking twice before running towards it. Her and N both skidded to a halt in another 16th-century style bedroom. Inside, there was the grass snake Pokémon, its usual red eyes now glazed over and lying on the ground. Quick as a flash, Jinjira ran towards Serperior, pulling its head in her arms. "Serperior, what happened to you?" she asked, her voice trembling. N knelt down beside Serperior, lightly running his hand along its body, being careful to avoid all the deep, painful-looking wounds covering it.

_"Beaten...whip...," _it began, nuzzling the crook of Jinjira's arm. "Who did this to you?" N asked. Serperior's glazed eyes were now beginning to look a faded pink, a far cry from its usual deep crimson eyes. A low whimper escaped the grass snake's throat.

_"Name...no...color...eyes...like...fire...," _was all Serperior could say. Jinjira bowed her head, fighting back tears. She refused to let Serperior see her this way, much less N. Using every ounce of strength it had left, the grass snake gently coiled its leaf-like tail around Jinjira's waist. Jinjira was stunned by this, but then noticed the gashes along its body. "Serperior, don't. You've already lost a lot of blood," Jinjira started. Serperior's tail slightly tightened around her waist. It was its version of a hug. It hated seeing Jinjira like this, and N did, too. N suddenly straightened up. "Jinjira, do you still have Serperior's PokeBall?" N asked. Jinjira narrowed her eyes and slowly nodded. N looked back at Serperior, who now looked limp as a doll. "You should put it back in its PokeBall. It'll be able to get a little rest and nothing else can harm it," N explained.

"Alright, Serperior. Get a good rest," Jinjira said. The Pokémon smiled as a red light surrounded it, confining it back in its PokeBall. Jinjira immediately stood up and turned around. Tears were forming in her eyes, and she didn't want N seeing her like this. She rarely ever cried, but on those rare occasions she did, she never let anyone see it, much less N.

"Name no color...eyes like fire...," N repeated Serperior's description of its attacker several times. Jinjira, too, repeated Serperior's description in her head. It seemed somehow familiar to her, she just couldn't figure out how. It was as if she'd heard it before somewhere. A name that was colorless...

"Wait an minute, Jinjira?" N's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She directed her attention towards him.

"What?"

"Can Serperior let itself out of its PokeBall like Absol can?"

"Yes."

"And can't it only come out a few feet away from you?"

"Yes."

"Then wouldn't you have noticed if Serperior was out of its PokeBall? I mean, wouldn't you notice it coming out?"

"Y...yes?"

"Then why didn't you?"

Jijira froze. N had a point. Why didn't she realize it before? Even if Serperior did manage to find a way out of its PokeBall without her knowing, it would never stray too far from Jinjira and N.

Jinjira was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt N wrap his arm around her, pulling her slightly closer.

"Come on. We need to keep going," he said. Something about him now made Jinjira on edge, but why? Was it the unusual calmness in his voice? The look in his eyes that suggested perhaps he was hiding something...darker...from her? Whatever it was, Jinjira suddenly felt uneasy about letting N's arm stay around her. She quickly backed out of his embrace. He smiled.

"What?" he asked, innocence lacing his voice. Jinjira froze again. That was no ordinary what-did-I-do voice, that voice sounded like it was hiding something from her. She shook her head.

"Never mind that. We need to keep going, like you said," she finally said, forcing herself to look him in the eye, in hopes of hiding the fact she now didn't trust him. But when her best friend seems to be able to read your mind and tell exactly what she's feeling, it was hard for her.

N only smiled at her. "Yes, let's go," he said, then beginning to walk down the corridor, with Jinjira at his side.

As they walked, many thoughts about N's current state raced through her head. What was he hiding from her? Since when did he hld her so close to him? Usually, he just grabs her shoulders, and that's usually when she's about to attack someone, like that old woman outside-

...the old woman outside!

She must have something to do with all this! Jinjira thought to herself. That was the only explanation. She'd tolerate her phobias, like heights, but going as far as messing with her Pokémon and her best friend, that's when she loses it.

Jinjira can tolerate many things, but when her best friends are being affected, that's when she begins fighting.

She must be behind N's mysterious sudden attraction to Jinjira. A chill shot up her spine as she recalled another fear of hers.

Fear of N going too far with her.

She'd always known N had a slight attracton to her, but now that the old witch had apparently taken over him, she feared she'd bring that fear to life as well as her others.

It'd explain the odd look of desire in N's eyes as well.


	4. Demons

Jinjira tried keeping her distance from N since she saw the strange look in his eyes. She knew what fear the old woman would bring to life next and she didn't want to incite it in any way. She suddenly stopped short.

"Oh come ON!" she yelped. N walked closer to her to see what had irritated her now, effectively making her flinch, and that's when he saw it. The hallway had narrowed even more, so much they'd have to walk in sideways. N looked at Jinjira.

"Please tell me you're not claustrophobic," he hoped she wasn't. She slowly nodded. He held his his breath. Jinjira gasped.

"You are, too, aren't you?" she asked him. He didn't look back at her. Suddenly, there was a loud BANG, making Jinjira jump. Her blood ran cold as both her and N snapped their attention behind them.

"Jinjira, remember when you punched Colress?"

"Yep."

"At a rough guess, how long would he have stayed knocked out.?"

"Ummmm...15 to 20 minutes at the least. Maybe 25 if we're lucky enough."

"How long has it been?"

Jinjira's blood ran cold. "Longer than that," she said, the words barely leaving her mouth. N looked into the narrow passageway, then at her. "We have to go through," was all he said. Jinjira looked back at the hallway they just came through and, sure enough, there was a dark shadow growing around the corner. It was Colress. He had regained consciousness and was now running after them. Jinjira saw this and her heart began racing.

In no less than a heartbeat, Jinjira squeezed her eyes shut and sidestepped into the narrow hallway. Actually, it was only narrow for about 15 feet, but since she was very claustrophobic, it seemed like it went on forever. She looked back to see N beside her, leaned against the wall, catching his breath. No doubt he was as claustrophobic as she was. They looked back to see the hallway. Colress was there. He tried to get through, but it was too narrow. He soon walked away.

Before she knew it she was sitting down on the floor beside N, her back against the wall. "We need to get some rest," was all Jinjira heard N say. She didn't say a word as exhaustion overtook her and she drifted off to sleep. But a certain familiar dream was making its presence known...

_Jinjira suddenly found herself in a forest, the trees all gnarled and twisted and an eerie fog blanketing the forest floor. _

_"Come here, little child," an all-too-familiar voice said. Jinjira turned to see the old woman from the haunted house several yards away from her. This was a dream Jinjira used to have almost every day after the fire that killed her parents. That was why the old woman seemed so familiar to her..._

_"Come here child," the woman said her voice now demonic and her eyes a fiery, ungodly red. Jinjira stumbled back. Like a child afraid of the dark, Jinjra felt trapped. She couldn't find a way out. She watched in horror as the old woman, no, the demon, made its way over to her._

_"You have no idea what you're dealing with, child," the demonic voice said, now disembodied, yet surrounding Jinjira at the same time. _

_"No, no, no, you're not real!" Jinjra cried, her hands clawed at her ears, trying to block out the demonic voice now surrounding her. _

_"Get out of my head!" Jinjira cried. The air became thick, surrounding Jinjira, suffocating her..._

Jinjira cried out as she snapped awake. "Jinjira! Calm down!" she heard N next to her, both his hands on her shoulders. "The...the old woman...she's been...,"

"Jinjira, calm down, you're trembling," N pointed out. She took deep breaths, trying to calm down. The old woman had been in those dreams...those dreams she always had after that terrible fire...

"Alright, now what were you saying?" N asked, keeping one hand on her shoulder. She didn't dare look him in the eye, afraid to see the lustful glint again.

"The old woman...she...she was in my dreams...after the fire...after my parents were killed by it...she was in those dreams...," she said, unable to get the demonic voice out of her head.

Still trembling slightly, N tilted her chin up, leaving her no choice but to look him in the eye. As she feared, the look of desire was highlighted in his icy blue eyes. She now feared more than anything she somehow incited that desire, but she wanted to know if N actually felt that way about her, or if that demon in a woman's body was just twisting his emotions.

Without any warning, Jinjira suddenly felt N's lips against hers, snapping her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Stunned, she didn't move, almost afraid to. Almost instantly, all anger, fear, and stress melted away, as if they never existed.

She felt N wrap his long arms around her making her unable to move. At this point, she was almost afraid to, afraid he'd try something else in her.

_Dammit, N, what's gotten into you?! _she wanted to say, but that was pretty hard since he was kissing her. She reeled back, but all she could do was lean her head back against the wall. Big mistake, and she knew it. She tried to fight back, but all her strength drained from her as N lowered his head and kissed her neck.

"N...stop...please..." Jinjira pleaded, but it had no effect. She was helpless against his desire, like .

_This can't be real! N would never do this! _it took all her remaining strength to try and reassure herself that, the rest of her strength being used to try and resist the waves of pleasure pulsating through her like a heartbeat. She kept her hands on his shoulders as N's hands stayed around her waist, as if he was determined to prevent her escape.

_This can't be right! _Jinjira desperately tried to tell herself, but now part of her didn't want N to stop as he gently bit down on her collarbone. At this point, Jinjira was willing ready to try anything...anything to get her best friend back. Her true best friend, her friend that would never to this.

Suddenly, as if what N was doing wasn't enough, Jinjira completely froze as she felt N's hands slowly lift her shirt. His hands got to the bottom of her ribcage before Jinjira regained her senses and grabbed his wrists. He looked up at her, giving her a what-the-hell-was-that-for look.

"Don't even think about it," she growled, forcing herself to look him in the eye. He smiled at her, a heart-melting smile that got him almost anything from Jinjira..._almost. _She looked him in the eye in disbelief.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, the words barely escaping her lips. He smiled again and kissed her.

"I'm perfectly fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about it," he purred, kissing her yet again, stunning Jinjira even more.

His words echoed in her head. She thought of her dream, the old woman, the demonic voice, what N was now trying with her...

_This is too much...,_ Jinjira realized. She couldn't handle this much longer. _I have to break away! _She was now terrified. Adrenaline shot through her like a bullet from a gun. Jinjira, now afraid this new power would soon drain away again, used it immediately, with all her power, managed to shove N away, making him stumble back to the other side of the corridor.

N looked back at her, stunned. What had happened just now? He couldn't remember, it was as if there was some block in his memory. Jinjira quickly stood up, pulling her shirt back down to cover her stomach. "What the hell was that for?" she yelped, watching N as he stood with her. He looked at her in confusion. What was she talking about? Why did Jinjira look so...afraid?

"Jinjira, what are you talking about?" he asked, sincerely confused. Jinjira, still shaken up from his sudden desire for her, reeled back and smacked him.

"You know what I'm talking about, lover boy! You just tried your luck with me!" she snapped. N's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh dear Arceus Jinjira, you know I'd never do that to you," he tried reasoning with her. N took a step forwards, but Jinjire took a step back, bacing into a wall, fear flashing in her cerulean eyes. N put his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down and trying to fight some remaining desire, succeeding.

"Listen, Jinjira, it's that old woman. She's messing with our heads. You know I'd never do anything like that to you, right?" he reassured her. She slowly nodded. He smiled.

"Good. Now, we really need to get out of here," N said, taking a step back. She looked at him and smiled, but it was a forced smile. She was still afraid of him.

His fear had come to life as well. He had lost control of himself, and now Jinjira might hate him for it.

Now what would happen?


	5. Betrayal

N didn't know what to think of this old woman. First, she played with their obvious fears: Jinjira's fear of heights, his fear of Colress, both their fears of tight spaces, and Jinjira's fear of him trying to do..._it_...with her, and his deepest fear of the woman making Jinjira untrusting of him. He had to admit: he was impressed with her skills, but at the same time he absolutely despised her.

He cast a sidelong glance at Jinjira, who was watching him out of the corner of her eye as they kept walking down the dimly lit corridor. He knew she didn't trust him now that the woman made him try it on Jinjira, and he also knew she probably hated him for it. He saw the look in her eyes when she said she knew it was the old woman making him do it. It was a look of distrust, and it broke his heart his best friend didn't trust him.

She's always had trust issues and had a really difficult time trusting people. Added to that, her parents had been killed in a fire, and since it was intentional, she had an especially hard time trusting _humans. _Even if her Serperior trusted N, as it actually did, she still didn't quite trust him.

At least, not anymore.

N couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Jinjira-"

"-Don't talk about it," she seemed to read his mind, knowing what he wanted to say as she quickly shut him up.

_Well then, _he thought to himself. He shut up after that. Suddenly, Jinjira froze and straightened up.

"Jin-"

"Shut up! Do you hear that?" she asked N, whipping her head around so fast all he saw was a blur of red for a split second. He listened, and what he heard shocked him.

Voices. Those were voices. More than that, they were the voices of Cheren and Bianca.

"Cheren?! Bianca?!" Jinjira yelled out, her voice echoing in the long corridor.

"Jinjira?!" A voice answered her, accompanied by footsteps rushing towards them. It was definitely Cheren and Bianca. Their voices were unmistakable. Both of them darted over to him and Jinjira. "We finally found you!" Bianca squealed at a frequency that made everyone's ears ring. N noticed Cheren was standing next to Bianca, but what caught his attention was the fact he wasn't showing any signs of not wanting to be in the haunted house.

Whenever Cheren didn't like something, he'd do almost anything to get out of it, and he knew Cheren didn't want to be in the haunted house, so why is he here?

Bianca and Jinjira were both smiling and laughing, but Jinjira caught a glimpse of the skeptical look in N's eyes.

"Did you two follow us in here?" she asked Bianca. Cheren and Bianca suddenly froze and looked at each other. Jinjira looked at N, the look in her eyes saying _do you trust them?_

Strangely, the two of them froze, and then looked at each other on panic, as if not knowing what to say. This confused both Jinjira and N. Usually, Bianca would have said something by now.

"Well, I dared Cheren to come here with me!" Bianca quickly said, smiling and constantly shifting her weight on her feet. Cheren quickly nodded. "Yeah! And I always do a dare!" Cheren's smile was obviously fake.

Jinira mock-laughed. "Ah-haha-alright. Now tell me why you're _really _here," she immediately became serious, her voice now a low growl. Both Cheren and Bianca were silent for a moment, but Bianca was the first to say something. "Ok, I'm tired of acting," she growls, making Jinjira freeze. "What do you mean, you're tired of acting?" she asked, trying to hide the shock in her voice. It didn't take a genius to figure out something was up.

"Why did you two really come in here?" N asked them.

Suddenly, Cheren flashed a devilish grin. "Well then your highness, if you must know...," he paused. " N instantly tensed hearing Cheren call him that. Bianca suddenly turned around and motioned for seemingly nothing to walk over. It was when a tall figure stepped out of the shadows N realized what had happened; Whoever that figure was sent Cheren and Bianca to find him and Jinjira.

"Good job, you two," a deep voice said. N and Jinjira both instantly froze. They both knew that voice. As soon as the voice was, N's eyes adjusted and he finally saw who it was.

It was Ghetsis.

"Well, we held up our end of the deal," Cheren said. Ghetsis nodded. "Yes, indeed. Now as I promised, you two have earned places in Team Plasma's ranks," he said. Jinjira's jaw dropped. "You two traitors sold me and N out just so you could join Team Plasma?! What the hell?!" Jinjira cried in disbelief. Cheren laughed and walked slightly closer to her. "We wanted to join Team Plasma since Bianca's Munna was stolen in Castelia City!" he declared.

_CRACK! _The sound of shattering glass filled the air as Jinjira punched Cheren, breaking his glasses. Bianca ran over to Cheren and looked at his glasses, then glared at Jinjira. "You broke his glasses you bitch!" she yelled.

Jinjira shrugged. "Yeah, that's what I was intending to do, that's why I punched him!" she growled, looking about to punch Bianca too. Bianca suddenly reeled her hand back and punched Jinjira right in the nose. "Ow! Goddammit Bianca!" Jinjira yelped, stumbling back. "Are you alright?!" N yelped, hoping Bianca didn't break her nose. Jinjira answered by punching Bianca first in the throat, then in the jaw, knocking her out cold.

Jinjira was about to punch Cheren, but he caught her fist within inches of his nose. "Nice try, princess," he sneered. Jinjira flinched. She hated being called that more than anything. "Call me that one more time and I'll knock you out like I did Bianca," she growled. Cheren smiled. "Princess," he said, immediately making a run for it. "Cheren! Get back here you coward!" Jinjira yelled, dashing after Cheren. N ran after Jinira, getting the sense it was a trap.

"Jinjira! Wait!" he managed to catch up with her and grab her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. Jinjira turned to face N. "What?!" she yelled, obviously wanting to catch Cheren. "Jinjira, this might be a trap!" N said, hoping he could convince her to stay. One of his fears was surfacing: N's fear of Jinjira getting herself killed.

Jinjira looked back towards Cheren, who ran into a closet. Jinjira, thinking he backed himself into a corner, ran towards the closet, but when she opened the door, she completely froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Jinjira...what's wrong?" N asked, but Jinjira was completely unresponsive. She just stood there, her eyes fixed on whatever was in the closet. As N took a step closer, he shut the door, snapping Jinjira out of her trance. She looked around, but completely froze when she saw N, as if she were surprised to see him there. "But...you were...," she looked towards the closet. N opened the closet door, but there was nothing there except for a single hanger. N looked back at Jinjira. "What did you see?" he asked, thinking it was one of her fears.

"It was...never mind. It wasn't anything...," she said, looking down. N knew it had to be something. "It was one of your fears, wasn't it?" he asked. Jinjira nodded, still looking down. "W...which fear was it?" N couldn't hide his curiosity.

"It was...you...you were dead...you were hanged in the closet...," she said, her voice shaking. Jinjira shook her head, as if trying to get rid of the thought. "Come on. We need to find a way out of here. Now," she said, quickly walking away.

N stood there, looking at the closet for a moment, then following Jinjira.

What other fears would that woman bring to life next?


End file.
